Thermal, Mechanical and Dielectric Properties of Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Graphene Oxide Composites

In this work the composite films of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) doped with functionalized Graphene Oxide (GO) were prepared by solution casting method. The films were characterized using FT-IR, DSC, XRD, mechanical properties and dielectric studies at room temperature. FTIR spectra shows the formation of hydrogen bonds between hydroxyl groups of PVA and the hydroxy groups of GO. The DSC thermograms shows the addition of GO to PVA greatly improves the thermal stability of the composites. XRD patterns shows that the GO exfoliated and uniformly dispersed in PVA matrix. Mechanical properties are significantly improved in PVA/GO composites. The tensile strength increased from 8.2 to 13.7 MPa and the Young's modulus increased from 7.5 to 24.8 MPa for 5 wt% GO doped sample. Dielectric spectroscopy showed a highest dielectric constant for the 5 wt% GO doped PVA films. This work provides a potential design strategy on PVA/GO composite, which would lead to higher-performance, flexible dielectric materials, high charge-storage devices.